Performance nutrition
How Much Protein Should I Eat For Training?
For healthy exercising adults, body weight provides a useful starting point—but training, calories, food preference, and health context still matter.
The direct answer
For healthy exercising adults, a practical evidence-aware starting range is roughly 1.4–2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. A large resistance-training meta-analysis found that average gains in fat-free mass did not keep increasing beyond about 1.6 g/kg/day, although individual circumstances and uncertainty around an estimate still matter.
This is educational guidance for healthy adults, not a prescription. Pregnancy, adolescence, kidney disease, other medical conditions, or clinician-directed diets require individualized professional guidance.
Convert the range into grams
Multiply body weight in kilograms by the chosen grams-per-kilogram target. For example, an 80 kg healthy resistance-training adult using 1.6 g/kg would start around 128 g per day. Treat the result as a workable starting target—not a reason to force exact grams at every meal.
Make the target easier to execute
- Distribute protein across meals rather than leaving most of it for the end of the day.
- Use repeatable foods whose portions you can estimate consistently.
- Keep total calories aligned with the actual goal.
- Prioritize a complete diet; protein supplements are optional convenience, not a requirement.
- Review adherence before raising the target.
Evidence references
Morton et al.: protein supplementation and resistance-training gains
International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise
Reviewed methodology
Reviewed July 19, 2026 by Yousef Moutan, StrengthCode Head Coach. Educational guidance only; not medical advice.
Track the target
See your daily protein total alongside calories
Log the foods and measured servings you actually eat, then review the whole day.